Key lock



Oct. 4,1927. 1,644,365

E. o. BENNETT KEY LOCK Filed Feb. 28, 1923 '40 my invention;

Paepted Oct. 4, 1927;

UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

an'wann oLIN BENNETT, or emcaeo, ILLrNoIs. `AssIeNon. 'ro 'WALTER e. HAYES.

m Lock.

Application mearebruaryes, 192s. serial m. cama This invention pertains to key locks of the type having slidingtumblers adapted to be actuated by a serrated k Y y One ofAv` hepurposes o this invention is to improve the construction, assembly, and i reliability of a lock of this character b incorporating in its construction a slotte key guide which is adapted to receive and accurately guide the key during the entire in- -10 sertion and operations thereof."Y

- 20 tremely diliicult to duplicate.

Other objects are to provide a lock which is` simple in construction, one which can be economically manufactured-and readily asl sembled,'one which willbe reliable and dur- 2 5 able in use and one in which a single resili.

ent'element may be used to insure the positive locking movement of a plurality of tumblers 4For the purpose of facilitatingan underp 30 standing of my invention Ihave illustrated on the accompanyingidrawings a preferred embodiment thereof, from'an-inspec'tlon of which, when considered in` connection with thev following description, my invention, in one of its preferred forms, and many of the inherent advantages thereoshould lbe readily understood and appreciated. 7^ Referring to the drawings:

Figr 1 is a plan view of a l k embodying Fig. 2 is a detailed viewof the key guide; lig. YF3 is a transverse sectional view throughthe lock, vshowing the key' therein; Fig..4 is alon 'tudinalesectional view on the line 44 of ig. 3; Fig. 5 is an end elevation of ,the lock; l Fig.- 6 is a transverse View, showing 'the tumblers in locked position;

Figs; 7 and S'Iare detailed cent tumblers; and, ,l l AFigs. 9 and 10 areuside aid ed e views, respectlvely, of m improved key.= l Referrin to e drawings more in detail', -v reference c aracter`11 indicates. a barrel, preferably cylindrical in shape and adapted central a erture 24 adapted 4to loosely c'eive the ey guide 18. so that each tumbler -to be associated in any suitable manner with the lock case proper and a locki bolt of any preferred construction. Thisaarrel is provided interiorly, prefcrabl at'the top and bottom, with longitudina y grooves 12 and 13 respectively, adapted t0 receive the ends of the tumblers, as will be later more apparent. Within the barrel there is rotatably diS- posed a cylinder 14 provided at its top and 96 l bottom with longitudinally extendin slots 15'and 16, these slots-being extende from the forward end of the c linder rearwardly to a point remote "from t e rear end of the cylinder, as indicated by reference character 17, these slots being also adapted to receive the ends of the tumblers and to align with the barrel rooves 12 and 13. l

A cylin rical key guide 18 is disposed within the cylinder 14 with its rear end ro- 75 ject-ing through an opening 19, form in the rear wall of the cylinder 14, as will be a parent from Fig. 4, the forwardend of this key guide being provided with an enlarged 4 head 21, shaped to fit within the cylinder and 30 having extensions at top and bottom, fitting within the grooves 15 and 16, whereby the cylinder and key guide are connected yto rotate as a unit. A screw 22 threaded into a tapped openingl intersecting the cylinder and key guide, locks these elements Itogether against relative displacement.

The tumblers 23 are flat, the outer contour of each beingA such'that it may be disposed within thelcylinder 14 with the `ends thereof 90 extending into lthe yslots 15 and 16 o f the cylinder, and eachtumbler is provided with a -is held Ibythe key 'guide against lateral displacement','but is ada ted to move up and down relatively toth guide. Each tumbler is also provided with aligned slots 25 and .aligned operating Vshoulders or faces 26,. adapted tobefengaged-b companion serrations on'opposite edges o the key, to Abe later l described.. The slots 25 extend radially out-' wardly beyond theoperating faces 26, and permit the other set'vo key serrations'tmo pass through without affecting. or moving4 the tumbler which is controlled solely by the key serrationswhich engage the faces 26. The tumblers are disposed on .the key guide in alternation; that is, the` slots 2'5 being dis-l posedat the leftA in alternate tuinblers, as 11C-*f shown in Fig. 7, and these slots being disosed at the right inthe intervening tumlers, as shown in Fig. 8. Looking longi-4 tudinally of the key guide, therefore, the slots and the operating faces 26 will be disposed in alternation on-opposite sides of the median plane of the key. n

The key, illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10, is provided on opposite sides with longitudinally extending grooves 2 7, the central portion of the tongue of the key between these grooves being adapted to enterthe 'narrow cent-ral portion 28 of the key hole and key slot in the guide 18. The thicker top and bottom portions 29 and 31, respectively, of the key are adapted to enter the enlarged upper and lower ends 32 and 33, respectively,v

of the key hole and to Ltravel'along the flat surfaces 34 at the top and bottom of the slot in the key guide so that the key is accurately guided during its complete insertion into and removal from thelock. It will be noted.

` that the enlarged upper and lower ends of the slot in t-he guide are cut lateral/ly deeper on one side (the same side) than on the other, that is, on one side of the center. This is done for the purpose of .insuring the entrance of the keyl in but. one position, the proper one. To facilitate the entrance of the `key into the lock the key ta ered as4 indicated by 35. f

he upper and lower edges of the key are each provided with two :sets of serrations' -ingv alternate tumblers are actuated by the serrations 37, and that the `slots .25 inv each `tumbler ermit'the serrations on the aligned side ,of tie key to pass freely through the tumbler 'without affecting or displacingthe same.v ,x

When the key is fully inserted in the lock,

' the outer ends of the tumblers are all moved the barrel.

bythe key into alignment and within the perimeter ofthe cylinder 14, so that 'the cyl-v f inder may be rotatedA to manipulate the locking bolt. When vthe key is Withdrawn, h wever, the tumblers will be displaced et er upwardly or downwardly, as the case maybe, with the result that their ends are projected intothe `grooves 12l or 13, thereby ocking the cylinder against rotation within l To insure aga' accidental movement ofthe tumblers, such as might possibly align them in unlocking position,l I

to locking position hole is preferablyv prefer to dispose within ithe cylinder -a curved leaf spring 38k (Figs. 3 and 6'), which contacts, the shoulders at the juncturev of the curve'and straight portions'of the tumblers, thereby tending to project said tumblers inas illustrated inF ig. 6, and when thetumblers are moved by the key intounlocking position, the spring'is spread or placed under tension, as illustrated in ln assembling the lock, the tumblers are first strung onthe key guide in the alternatel relation previously described, the spring 38 is positioned withinlthe cylinder 14,' where uponthe .keyguide withthe tumblers thereon is inserted into the cylinder where Iit isl retained by the screw 22. The key is then insert-ed in the lock and since the tuniblers are all originally made -of standard length',

the action ofthe key serrations on the tumblers willdispose themv with their ends prol jecting varying distancesbeyond the perimeter of the cylinder. These projecting ends are then ground or turned oli' flush with the perimeter `of the cylinder, whereupon the cyl- 904 inder is positioned within the barrel 11 and connected .withthe bolt actuatingmechanism.l by which the cylinder is held against displacement from tle barrel.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that I have provided a lock in which the fiat' tumblers are strung upoir and carried bya k key guide, by which the tumblers are mailn-- Vtained in predetermined relation `'and position in the lock and by which also the key is v accurately guided during its insertion" and a removal, so'that it cannot enter at an'angle or bind so 'as to interfere with its movements. The tum'blers, furthermore, are arranged on the key guide in'two series, one adapted to 105` be actuated by one set of the key serrations, and the other adapted to be actuated'by the Other set of -key serrations, Aeach tumbler being soi construct-ed that it will notbe displaced or affected; by the Ikey7 serrations de# 1'10 v signed to actuate the tnmblers'of the other series. Since, .whenthetumblers are'V in lockmg position, some of them project in one din rection beyond the lock cylinder and otnersf in the opposite direction beyond this cylinder, andl since the operating faces of the two series oftumblers are disposed in different vertical planes, it will be manifest that pick ing of the lock or opening of the same, eX-

cept by means of the particular` key designed to open the'same, is-practicall impossible. The key, furthermore, being of special design, both with respect tol its vedges and to its sides, cannot be readily` duplicated, which givesv further insurance 'against unauthor- 125` izedunlocking .of the lock. j The lock is simple` in construction, econom- 5 ical to manufacture, and can 'be'readily assembled The details of the construction of the lock, however, may be modified within 130 :considerable limits witiioiii departing frein the essence of the invention, as set forth set.

yide opposite'sets and each tumbler having mteriorly facing` operating faces and interiorly openin vslots adjacent said faces, and 55 a key having lndependent provisions for engaging said operating Afaces for aligning the' outer ends of the `tumbler projections of one 6. Ina

' a rotatable cylinder Withinsaid barrel, a

' said cylinder, -rounding and carried by barrel, and akey-insertable in said guide Q for actuating said tumblers and rotatmg said cylinder.'

lguide so as series, and visions for actuating each lock, the combination of a relative-v 60 ly stationary barrel having diamet-rically disposed longitudinally extending 4grooves and an .unbroken external surface, a rotatable'cylinder` Within said barrel, a bifurcated key guide rotatably 'mounted within said 65. cylinder, a.A plurality. of tumblersv surrounding and'loosely retained by s'aid bifurcatedV keyguide and adapted to `be moved transversely-'of said guide -in l opposite directions into enga 'e ent vvitli said Igrooves in said 70 barrel, an a' key having oppositely disposed slottedv key guide rotatably. mountedvithin a plurality of tumblers sursaid -key'guide and adapted to move transversely of said guide into engagement with the grooves' Aof said 2. A lock .comprising a slotted key guide, a plurality of apertured tumblers threaded upon said' key guide,t each tumbler having opposed operatin faces at one side of the' center thereof an elongated slots at the yofping aid tumblers and rotating said cylinder. posite sid of the centerthereof, said tumi'. In a lock of thecharacter described, a blers being alternately faced upon said key 'relatively.stationarybarreL a cylinder rotatv` 75 to be arranged ina plurality of ably mounted within said `barrel, said cylina key having independent proder having a slot and said barrel an internal series of tumblers. groove registerable with one another in a 3. A lock comprisinga keyg'uide,`a cylin predetermln'ed position, a plurality of tumder` surrounding the same and connected portion's'insertable insaid guide for actuatblers. adapted-to pass-through said slot into 80' operating faces at; one side of the center therewith, al plurality 'of tumblers mounted on said key guide and engagedA in slotsl in said cylinder, each tumbler having opposed thereof and elongated slots at the opposite side of the center-thereof, a key Aadapted to align the ends of said tumblers with the .per--L imeter of said cylinder, and yielding means tively actuate a seriesfof grooves tojreceive said guide within the' cylinder f for projectingthe ends of the tumblers outside the perimeterof the .cylinder upon withdrawal of said key.

1. A lock comprising a slotted key guide,'

duplicate fiat tumblers 'threaded on said guide in alternate relation so as to-be vdisposed in tivo series, and a-key having lateral and a pair'of serrations at each edge-adapted to respecsaid tumblers. 5. A lock comprising, a key guide, a plurality of duplicatetumblers having unequal outvvardly and oppositely projecting portions about(l said guide, certain of said tumblers being arranged about' said guide oppositely to certain other tumblers to prosaid groove when the slot and\groove are in register, and a single resilient-'member nor! mally engagingall of said tumblers for .urging thetumblers into said slot and groove when the slot -and grooye are inregister. S5

8. In a lock of `the character describechal barrel having an internallongitudinal slot,

ya hollow generally cylindrical and longitudinally slotted member-mounted within -said- -l )arrelfor relative vrot-ation therein, 90 YA'saidslot-and groove being adapted to reglster in a predetermined relative position of said member and barrel, a plurality of tumblers within said member and each provided with a.' portion adapted vto `/be' projected 95 through saidslot into said groove and "to 'lock said member and barrel against relative vrotation when kso pro-jectetd, and a `singles 'ring between'said member and said tumb ers adapted to normally tend to move said 10* port-ion' of each of a plurality of said tum-l blers through said slot into said groove.

- AEDWARD OLIN' BENNETT. 

